


pivote

by meretricula



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Baby Dream Team, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-15
Updated: 2011-04-15
Packaged: 2017-10-18 02:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/184145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meretricula/pseuds/meretricula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo and Gerard, getting to know each other all over again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	pivote

**Author's Note:**

> written for [this prompt](http://community.livejournal.com/touchline/727.html?thread=4055#t4055) by [](http://climbingeverest.livejournal.com/profile)[**climbingeverest**](http://climbingeverest.livejournal.com/) at [](http://touchline.livejournal.com/profile)[**touchline**](http://touchline.livejournal.com/). you should come play with us, too!

**pivote**

1\. m. Extremo de una pieza en la que se mete o se apoya otra.  
2\. Objeto cilíndrico fijo en el suelo.

  
"Don't!" Bojan hissed out of the side of his mouth. Gerard stopped short, looked at Bojan, then again at the stiff line of Leo's back on the other side of the pitch. One of the older players - Sylvinho - was already drifting toward Leo, but sidelong, as if he didn't want anyone to realize where exactly he was going.

"I was just - "

"He won't like it," Bojan said. "Don't, okay? Just - don't."

"He was one of my _best friends_ ," Gerard argued. "I've known him since he was thirteen, for god's sake, I'm not going to - "

"Yeah, well, he's not thirteen anymore." Bojan hesitated, chewing on his lip, and finally said, "Just let Sylvinho take care of it, okay? It's not… you'll get it later."

Bojan waited, staring up at Gerard, until he realized Bojan wanted him to say something. "Yeah, okay," Gerard mumbled.

"Okay, great!" The worried look on Bojan's face melted away into a huge smile, and he bounced off to join Thierry without a backwards glance.

*

Gerard dug out his phone after lunch to surreptitiously text Cesc. _hey r u still talking to me now?_

 _fuck off u dick_

 _yes_

 _u moron_

 _whats up?_

His phone rang almost before Gerard could finish reading the barrage of texts. "Hello?"

"Okay, fuckwit, that was like at least half your fault and anyway I was _fifteen_ so feel free to stop holding it over my head any time now - "

"How is it half my fault, I wasn't the one who wouldn't answer the phone - "

"You were the one who was a _total cunt_ about it," Cesc said with great finality. "Shut it. What's going on?"

"I don't know, it's just - Leo is being weird."

"Weird how?"

"I don't know, _weird_." Gerard frowned. "Like, he talks now? Sometimes. But he's pissy as fuck and sarcastic and I _think_ he was joking when he said he was thinking about trying to pick up a hamstring strain to prepare for preseason but I'm not actually sure. Stop laughing, it's not funny! It's totally weird!"

"You know people change when they grow up, right?" Cesc asked when he finally finished wheezing with laughter. "I mean, other than you, you overgrown child. Are you seriously complaining that Leo talks to people other than us now? Does it make you feel less _special_ ," he added, his voice taking on a sing-song tone.

"Shut up," Gerard said uncomfortably. "I didn't mean - I just think it's weird."

"Look," Cesc sighed. "You're not stupid, you know he's upset about the Olympics. I'm not even _there_ and I know he's upset about the Olympics. Don't be a dick, okay? Leo's always pissy when he doesn't get to play. It doesn't mean he doesn't like you anymore."

"I _never said_ \- it's not like that, all right? It's different."

"Okay, maybe it's not," Cesc said, conciliatory. "I'm not there, I wouldn't know. I'm just saying, maybe it's not as weird as you think. Leo's still Leo. You just haven't been around him in a while, and we're older now."

"Yeah, okay," Gerard said. He wasn't really at all sure Cesc was right, but Cesc had always gotten Leo a little better than he had, as much as anyone got Leo, anyway. So maybe he was after all.

*

Bojan gave Gerard a _look_ at practice when he grabbed Leo around the middle and spun him around a little, but Cesc had said Leo was Leo and they'd always treated Leo like that - their tiny genius to be petted and teased and picked up and carried. Anyway, everyone else was doing it too. Leo could hardly go three steps without someone ruffling his hair or hugging him, and even though Leo just made a tiny hiss like a cat held over water and dangled limply from his arms, it made _Gerard_ feel better to be the one to put his arms around him and squeeze. "Cheer up, or I'm going to think you're not happy to be here with me," he said as he put Leo down.

"I'd be happier if your teeth were bigger," Leo said, expressionless, and walked away. Gerard blinked.

*

They all saw the explosion coming, but when Leo started screaming at Rafa, it was like a car collision in slow motion: everyone was horrified, and nobody could look away. Then it was over, and all that was left was cleaning up the wreckage.

*

"I'm sorry," Leo mumbled to Gerard, back at the hotel.

Gerard looked down at him, surprised. "What for?"

"I should have - it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"When did you snap at me?" Gerard asked. "No, I mean - apology accepted, it's fine, but I don't know what you're talking about. You said sorry to Rafa already, you don't have to say anything to me."

"In training," Leo said. He looked up from his feet for the first time. "When I - I am happy you're here, okay? I didn't mean it about wishing you were Ronnie."

"When… oh. Oh. Wait, that was about Ronaldinho? Was I supposed to know that?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "How are you actually this thick? Does the winter in England make you stupid, or is it just something in the water in Manchester, _honestly_ \- " He stopped, bit his lip, and added quietly, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Gerard said again. "I don't - it's not just the Olympics, right? This is just, this is you now?"

"I'm not a _jerk_ now," Leo said indignantly.

"I didn't mean - I like it, okay?" Gerard said quickly. He wanted to get it all out before Leo cut him off. "I like it. I know I'm not - I couldn't ever tell before if I was pissing you off, or what. You never said anything. You can tell me to fuck off if you want. I'd rather you did than wonder if you were thinking it all the time." He hesitated, because they weren't sixteen anymore and he wasn't sure they did this now, but if he was going to be honest he might as well go all the way, so - "It's, um. It's kind of hot."

"Huh," Leo said. "That's interesting."

"What?" Gerard asked. The speculative glint in Leo's eye was making him nervous. "What's interesting?"

"Oh, nothing. Just, if you like getting yelled at, you're going to have a _great_ time when Puyi comes back."

"Leo!" Gerard yelped. Leo laughed.

"Kidding, kidding!" He stood on tip-toe and brushed a kiss onto Gerard's cheek. "You're going to be so much fun to play with."

"Play with like together, or like _with?_ "

Leo's grin was blinding, appearing out of nowhere like a flash and then gone again. "Can't it be both?"


End file.
